The Blue Raiders' 2024 campaign is approximately four long months away from beginning. MTSU fans are staring down the barrel of the dog days of Summer before the season kicks off inside Floyd Stadium against Tennessee Tech.
The changing of the guard has occurred and the head coaching baton has been handed from long time head man Rick Stockstill, to new head coach Derek Mason.
Derek Mason is now at the helm and he will be tasked with the assignment of flipping the roster where the Blue Raiders can compete for conference championships.
When Derek Mason was announced as the head ball coach at the press conference, fans heard from President McPhee, Chris Massaro, and Derek Mason himself.
They were all in unison saying that the goal is to consistently compete for conference championships.
In order to do this the team needs a makeover and the roster needs to be completely revamped. I recall a few games last season where I averted my attention to the battle of the trenches on the line of scrimmage. I was stunned at how glaring the mismatch was at times.
Where's the beef? I asked myself. When you peruse the 2023 roster, the numbers leap off the page. The weight and size was not where it needed to be. It is crystal clear the Coach Derek Mason has received the message.
Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college football program and the size issue is currently being addressed. Take a gander at the high school and junior college guys signed for the class of 2024. Dumela Knox is a monster with a height over 6'7 and a weight eclipsing the 300 pound figure.
Tennessee Tech offensive lineman transfer Ellis Adams has been weighed in at a weight of over 340 pounds. Alexander Gale of Tallahassee, Florida, is over 6'3 and a weight around the 315 pound mark. Shamar Crawford is 6'5 and also over the 300 pound mark.
Even the lighter lineman of the bunch are over 285 pounds. The lightest for the class of 2024 is Zach Clayton, is a giant figure at 6'5 and around 285 pounds. Jason Overton is 6'2 and 290 pounds.
The game of recruiting has been flipped on its' head with the implementation of the transfer portal. Fans for a while have been clamoring for actual division one talent on the roster, and this years' portal class has brought in an infusion of legitimate division one talent. The process of the portal musical chairs is still not over, as the Blue Raiders will continue to add to the roster before fall camp begins.
As it currently stands, though, Middle has reached the double digits marks for incoming transfer additions.
Over half of the guys in the boat so far are from power conferences.
Here are those guys:
-Gamarion Carter. Wide receiver. Vanderbilt
-Brendon Harris. Defensive back. Wake Forest
- Felix Hixon. Defensive line. South Carolina
- Omari Kelly. Wide Receiver. Auburn
- James Monds III. Defensive back. Indiana
- Hayes Sutton Wide Receiver. Duke
Recruiting and assembling the roster is obviously one major piece of the puzzle. Ultimately it will boil down to the culmination of coaching X's and O's along with the game plan and in-game adjustments.
The purpose of this article is to highlight the flashes of hope and reasons for optimism, but I do not want to gas up the team and give the notion that this team will win big in 2024.
I personally believe that it is possible that the team could take some lumps in Mason's first season. The schedule is not completely daunting, but formidable at the very least. On the out of conference slate are contests at home versus Tennessee Tech, at Ole Miss, Duke at home, and at Memphis.
I think that the goal should be to reach six wins and get bowl eligible.
Regardless of that, fans need to play the long game as it pertains to their expectations. It could be a two to three year rebuild, but I'm confident that Coach Mason will get the job done.
Mason brings a shot in the arm to the program that was much needed. It may take a couple years, but I think the program will be rolling in a couple of years. Coach Mason resonates with the young bucks out there. He also brings a brand of football to the program that will play scrappy, hard nosed defense.
There is no reason why the team cannot morph into a perennial conference championship contender. I would argue that pound-for-pound, the MTSU football program is in the top 3 in Conference USA.
With the upcoming facilities upgrades on the horizon, the program should have all the tools in the toolbox to achieve big time success.
I think all the boxes CAN be checked off.
- Energetic coach the chops to recruit at a high level? Check
- Quality facilities and stadium? Check.
- A fan base that will back the team if the tables turn? Check.
- Quality coaching staff? Check
- Enticing academic programs? Check.
- A good crop of local high school talent to tap into? Check.
Again, patience needs to be practiced and immediate expectations need to be tempered. I expect this year's 2024 team to be one that competes, scraps and plays with tenacity. Bowl eligibility is attainable, and heck, I'll go out on a limb and say this year's team reaches bowl eligibility.
Buckle up, Blue Raider faithful. It should be a fun ride!
